When the first sound chips for computers were made, they had rudimentary square wave sounds that they could produce. Space Invaders may have laid the foundation for all video games soundtracks today. The evolution of game music goes from square waves, to FM synthesis, and eventually PCM audio. Video game soundtracks started to become all the rage in the 1980s, but in terms of important milestones:
- 1981’s Vanguard was the first video game to include a piece of licensed music, borrowing a theme from 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
- 1983’s Dragon’s Lair was the first arcade game to feature stereo sound and voice acting. It wasn’t in the traditional sense as the game was an interactive movie.
- 1984’s Marble Madness was the first to feature true stereo sound and a score that would match that of a film.
- Koji Kondo’s score for Super Mario Bros. in 1985 really explained what video game soundtracks meant. His score was intended to match the on-screen action.
- Koichi Sugiyama’s score for the original Dragon Quest in 1986 would help popularize classical-style soundtracks in many subsequent franchises to follow.
There have been a number of games, both old and contemporary, that don’t have a soundtrack, but the reactions on said titles have been mixed.
Creating a game soundtrack requires a lot of skill and coordination among different individuals. The process starts with the game designer who may pick which specific theme which in turn sets the mood for the soundtrack. It can be original composers or licensing existing tracks. During the Golden Era of gaming, game soundtracks were often composed by a studio’s employees.
Once games started to ship on CD-ROMs, it had become possible to record game soundtracks live with half of all composers working freelance. You would need to bring in a music director to compose the score and gather the resources to perform and record the score. Sometimes, the composer is also a sound designer, with three in four doing both.
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Life without music would be significantly less interesting (in my opinion). I enjoy music as much as video games, although I am a novice regarding music knowledge. Music in video games is essential in capturing the mood of the on-screen action as you mentioned with Koji Kondo and Super Mario Brothers (1985: Nintendo Entertainment System). When I review video games, I consider music in as important as the story and graphics.
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The score to SMB is one of the best. Nice and perky.
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I got a robotics research grant to hold me over from completing undergrad in May 1984 to starting grad school a couple of months later. One of the toys in the lab was a Votrex text to sound generator. It could not get my name right so I had to send my (common) name phonetically. Things have improved but not as much as I thought they would have by now 40 years ago. It still takes work.
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Without music, life is not just complete. It’s boring! Music is the language of the soul. Not just games but even movies. Try turning of any music or sound and just stare at the screen. Nothing! It’s blah!
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I agree with you. Music gives games the vibe.
Hello guys. How are you🤩🥰💕🌟
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I think of nostalgic game music – Zelda, Mario (all of them), Harvest Moon, Sonic.. hearing the music brings back the joy I experienced playing those games.
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